Michael R. Cheney

Michael Cheney is a senior fellow at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, a Professor in Communication and an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Prior to his affiliation with IGPA and the University of Illinois at Springfield, Cheney taught at Rutgers College from 1977-1981 and at Drake University. In 1988, he became the Dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake University. As Dean, Cheney led the School’s fundraising efforts during the "Campaign for Drake," which raised over $125 million for the University.

Cheney held the Dean position until 1993 when he became the Associate Provost and Director of Research at Drake University. During this time, he facilitated a national commission on libraries and information resources at Drake as well as coordinated all institutional research data and surveys.

In 2001, Cheney accepted the position of Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Illinois at Springfield. As Provost, Cheney coordinated the campus activities for the upcoming "Campaign for the University of Illinois," which began with a National Commission of the Future of UIS.

In 2005, Michael Cheney was named a senior fellow at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs. His responsibilities include implementing a fundraising campaign. He also teaches online for the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Cheney believes he was drawn to IGPA because it allows him to work on a variety of projects. "At IGPA I am able to develop policy papers on a range of new media issues," he said. Cheney currently focuses his research on political campaigning through the Internet.